Autopsy on grandmother held in girl's death to take weeks

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – It will be weeks before an autopsy reveals what killed an Alabama woman who was serving life without parole for the running death of her 9-year-old granddaughter.

Alabama prison spokesman Bob Horton said Tuesday that an autopsy on 50-year-old Joyce Hardin Garrard (juh-RAHRD') (juh-RAHRD') could take six to eight weeks.

Garrard died Friday, five days after being taken to a hospital from the state's women's prison. Horton says the initial diagnosis was cardiopulmonary arrest.

Garrard was convicted last year of killing 9-year-old Savannah Hardin by making her run as punishment for a lie about candy in 2012. Evidence during the trial showed the girl ran for hours outside Garrard's home in rural northeastern Alabama.

Garrard testified she never meant to harm the child, but jurors convicted her of capital murder.